Jay Davenport began his position as vice president for Development and Alumni Relations in September 2017. Before joining VCU, Davenport served as associate vice president of individual giving and campaign management at Wake Forest University.

As VCU’s chief development officer, Davenport leads development and alumni engagement efforts for both the university and VCU Health. Areas under his purview include advancement solutions, alumni relations, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, development and alumni communications, donor relations, regional philanthropy and the universitywide development staff.

Davenport has served in several roles at Wake Forest since 2010, including as assistant vice president of college development, assistant vice president of major gifts and associate vice president and campaign director. Previously, Davenport was director of development and team leader at Rice University and held fundraising positions as a college development director at the University of Memphis College of Business and Wright State University College of Engineering. He began his higher education career as an assistant dean of admissions at Wittenberg University in 1995.

Davenport holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University and a master's degree in higher education administration from Ball State University.

Magnus Johnsson joined VCU in 2007 as executive director of external relations and development for the School of Education before taking on his current role in February 2015. 

Johnsson brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience and has served volunteer leadership roles as past president of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Virginia Chapter. His work experience includes senior leadership roles at UMFS and the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. Johnsson received his Certified Fund Raising Executive credentials in 2004 and is a member of the 2015 Class of Leadership Metro Richmond. 

He earned a M.P.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. in public administration from James Madison University. 

As senior associate vice president for development, Johnsson oversees the areas of principal giving, regional giving and corporate and foundation relations.

Samantha Wheeler Marrs joined VCU in 2000 as director of corporate and foundation relations.

Today, her primary responsibility is to manage key DAR areas, including budget, Strategic Marketing and Engagement and Advancement Services, including donor relations, communications, annual giving, regional philanthropy and corporate and foundation relations.

Her previous experience includes eight years as program associate at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where she coordinated higher-education grants. She holds degrees from Smith College and Columbia University. She has served as president of a local middle school PTA, chair of the board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center and secretary/treasurer of the board of VirginiaFIRST, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding STEM activities across the commonwealth.

Tom Maness originally came to VCU in 2018 as associate dean and chief development officer for the School of Medicine. He was appointed to his current role in January 2019 and has responsibility for philanthropic support across the health sciences campus including the colleges and schools of Dentistry, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. This also includes the Massey Cancer Center as well as the hospitals, clinics and programs of VCU Health. 

He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of philanthropy mostly at academic medical centers. Prior to his time at VCU, he served as AVP for annual, major and planned giving at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he had responsibility for all individual giving programs. He also has extensive experience in enhancing and expanding grateful patient and family programs through partnership with physicians, researchers and other health care providers. 

Prior to joining Children’s National, he served in the joint development office of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan. He served in various roles including major gifts officer, associate director of major gifts and manager of major gifts. His management duties included building and leading teams of gift officers in major and mid-level giving as well as overseeing numerous donor affinity groups. During this time, Tom participated in three comprehensive campaigns of $1 billion or more. 

He holds a master’s of public administration in public policy and nonprofit management from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. 

King P. Goldman joined DAR in July 2015 as assistant Advancement Services trainer. In January 2016, King became interim project manager/executive assistant. Given his previous experience directing and managing housekeeping and environmental service operations in both hotels and VCU Health, he transitioned to building manager in May 2016. Goldman earned a bachelor's in human development from the University of Illinois at Urbana, a master's in instructional design from Bellevue University and a post-master's certificate for Six Sigma Greenbelt course completion via Villanova University.

Izzy Kane joined VCU in 2010 as a graduate student worker in corporate and foundation relations. She then went on to work in the Office of Research Subjects Protection at VCU before coming back to Development and Alumni Relations as senior project coordinator. She holds a bachelor's in hospitality administration from Boston University and an M.P.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Magnus Johnsson joined VCU in 2007 as executive director of external relations and development for the School of Education before taking on his current role in February 2015. 

Johnsson brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience and has served volunteer leadership roles as past president of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Virginia Chapter. His work experience includes senior leadership roles at UMFS and the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. Johnsson received his Certified Fund Raising Executive credentials in 2004 and is a member of the 2015 Class of Leadership Metro Richmond. 

He earned a M.P.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. in public administration from James Madison University. 

As senior associate vice president for development, Johnsson oversees the areas of principal giving, regional giving and corporate and foundation relations.

Ann Deppman became assistant vice president of gift planning for VCU in 2021 after previous serving as director of gift planning for the MCV Foundation. She oversees and coordinates gift planning across the university.

Ann brings more than 13 years of leadership experience, most recently as director of gift planning for Oberlin College, where she led successful efforts to increase institutional support through outright and planned gifts.

Ann is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College, and she earned her law degree from Vermont Law School.

Ann and her husband, Vance, have four grown sons. In their spare time, they enjoy biking and walking their two small dogs in addition to sharpening their skills as amateur home baker (Ann) and chef (Vance). They look forward to getting to know the Richmond community, especially the local restaurants and parks.
 

A member of the VCU team since 1999, Anne Hoffler has a B.A. and an M.Ed., both from the College of William & Mary. She has 25 years of experience in stewardship, donor relations and university special events.

Stephanie Monn plans regional and presidential-level salon events with regional giving, principal giving and VCU Alumni. She comes from the VCU School of Pharmacy, where she had served as gift stewardship and special events coordinator since 2016. She has worked in nonprofit business strategy, marketing and customer service for more than 10 years. She holds an M.B.A. from VCU and holds a B.S. in marketing and management from Portland State University. 

Ariana Bracalente has been with VCU since 1987 and a part of Development and Alumni Relations team since 1998.

She has worked in corporate and foundation relations for nearly 20 years, focusing on grant development and management, identifying potential funding matches for university priorities, and building relationships with corporate and foundation partners. Her greatest joy is working with faculty and colleagues to develop and craft successful corporate and foundation proposals. She hails from the College of William and Mary but calls VCU her home team.

Chad Krouse joined VCU in 2012 as a regional major gift officer after several years of annual giving and major gift work at Hampden-Sydney College. In 2015, he was promoted to oversee VCU’s regional giving program for the university in conjunction with the Make It Real Campaign for VCU.

Krouse earned his Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College in 2002, and a Master of Divinity from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2010. In 2018, Krouse earned his Doctor of Education in Leadership from the VCU School of Education. Krouse serves on the advisory boards for the VCU Rams in Recovery program as well as the CX Certificate program at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond. Krouse is an adjunct professor at the William & Mary School of Education and the VCU Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

Before joining VCU's University Development team as an engagement officer, Matt Rowe served as a case manager and student advocate in the Dean of Students office at Virginia Tech. He earned his bachelor's degree in agribusiness management from Virginia Tech and a Master of Education in higher education from the University of Virginia.

James Wasilewski has served in various fundraising, constituent engagement and student recruitment roles in higher education for 20 years. He currently serves as senior director of University Development, leading a university gift officer team for engagement and gift interest as well as working with talent management in the areas of fundraising and leadership training for development. At VCU, he has also served in prior roles as director of annual giving for VCU Massey Cancer Center and director of development and alumni engagement for the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

Additionally, James facilitates workshops and is a presenter at conferences about fundraising practices and other soft skill development and application.

He is a community advocate, including volunteer board service and leadership for the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives, Central Virginia chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and more. In 2015, he was recognized in the Richmond publication Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 for his work in fundraising, volunteer service and improv comedy in the community.

He earned his B.S. in accounting with a minor in speech communications from Randolph-Macon College and his M.B.A. from the University of Central Florida.

Corey Humphrey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Wooster in Ohio. Prior to joining the University Development team, he worked as a leadership annual giving officer at the VCU School of Education, and from 2014-17 as the director of development for MENTOR Virginia.

Samantha Wheeler Marrs joined VCU in 2000 as director of corporate and foundation relations.

Today, her primary responsibility is to manage key DAR areas, including budget, Strategic Marketing and Engagement and Advancement Services, including donor relations, communications, annual giving, regional philanthropy and corporate and foundation relations.

Her previous experience includes eight years as program associate at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where she coordinated higher-education grants. She holds degrees from Smith College and Columbia University. She has served as president of a local middle school PTA, chair of the board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center and secretary/treasurer of the board of VirginiaFIRST, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding STEM activities across the commonwealth.

Carrie Naumann joined VCU in October 2012. She provides primary prospect research, management and strategy support to various campus partners. She also is helping support the growth of data analytics within the prospect development office. She received a B.A. in government and international relations from George Mason University and an M.P.A. and certificate in nonprofit management from VCU. Before joining VCU, Naumann worked in prospect research for a nonprofit consulting firm in New York City as well as for the marketing and communications department of the Metropolitan Opera. She is webmaster for the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement Virginia Chapter and has been involved with Women in Development, N.Y., New York Women’s Agenda, APRA Greater New York Chapter and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Fundraising Day in New York.

A member of the VCU team since 2014, Ben Bromley earned a B.A. in history and religious studies from the College of William & Mary and a M.S.I.S. in information science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His career has spanned different facets of managing information, having previously worked in special collections and archives for William & Mary and the Library of Virginia.

A member of the VCU team for more than 10 years, Rob Downs has a B.S. from James Madison University and an M.S. from VCU. He was worked in VCU Technology Services, Creative Services and Advancement Services in all aspects of web and technology.

A member of the VCU team since 2011, Nate Parker earned a B.S. in information systems with a concentration in application development from VCU in 2010. He is part of the team that implemented the new DAR online giving and event database, systems and websites.

Matt Yopp, who joined the VCU team in 2012, has a B.A. from Collins College and holds A+ Certification and HDI CSR Certification. He has 10 years experience in IT and related technology fields.

William "Chris" Faris joined Advancement Services in 2016 as a desktop support technician. Faris has more than 10 years' experience in the IT support field and holds Network+ and HDI CSR certifications.

Henry Davis joined VCU in June 2014 as director of finance and budget.

A licensed C.P.A. in Virginia, Davis spent 10 years as controller at GRTC followed by three years as CFO. He was responsible for a $45 million operating budget and a $9 million capital budget.

Davis earned a bachelor's in commerce with a concentration in accounting from the University of Virginia.

In 2019, Melanie Irvin was named assistant vice president of Strategic Marketing and Engagement, a new division in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations that brings together Annual Giving, DAR Communications and Donor Relations and Events. Previously, Irvin lead the DAR Communications team for 13 years. Before arriving at VCU, Irvin spent nine years at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She holds a bachelor degree in mass communications with a double major in political science from VCU, where she was executive editor of the thrice-weekly Commonwealth Times, and is a 2012 graduate of the VCU Leadership Development Program at the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. In 2011, she won an Emmy for her work on an institutional philanthropy commercial, “Invest in VCU.”

Kristen Caldwell joined VCU in 2006 as a managing editor and assistant creative director in University Relations before joining the DAR Communications team in 2015. In her role of associate director of development and alumni marketing and communications, she manages the VCU Alumni magazines, Shafer Court Connections and Scarab; writes and develops communications for membership campaigns and alumni events; and sets strategy for social media. She holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from VCU.

Jenna Hart joined VCU in August 2014 as associate director of annual giving. She works to increase alumni participation by focusing annual giving operations on retaining, renewing and acquiring alumni donors. She earned a B.S. in business administration and management from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master's in human resource management from the University of Richmond. She spent five years working at the University of Richmond, where she managed direct mail, email and social media annual solicitations for the undergraduate alumni population. She also recruited, trained and motivated more than 250 alumni volunteers who worked toward the university's class giving goal of $2 million annually.

A member of the VCU team since 2004 (she started as a student worker), Jenn Papenfuse has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.P.A. from VCU.

She won the DAR Team Spirit Award in 2012.

Ashley Burton joined VCU Alumni as the director of alumni reunion and recognition programs in August 2018. She is responsible for the strategy, growth and success of reunions on the MCV and Monroe Park campuses. She also ensures that alumni are appropriately recognized for their contributions, both personally and professionally, through meaningful award ceremonies and events.

Most recently, Burton spent six years at the VCU School of the Arts in Qatar, where she managed events, festivals, ceremonies, conferences and diplomatic and VIP protocol. Before working in Qatar, she worked at VCU Massey Cancer Center, where she led sponsorship, fundraising and marketing for the center’s largest fundraising event, The Massey Challenge.

She maintains a professional certification as a Certified Special Event Professional through the International Live Events Association and is a licensed trainer by The Protocol School of Washington to teach intercultural etiquette and protocol.

Burton is a graduate of Longwood University and earned a certificate in event management from The George Washington University.

A member of the VCU staff since 2006, Michael P. Andrews earned a B.S. from Hofstra University and a master's from VCU. After seven years of business-to-business sales and marketing experience with two Fortune 500 companies, he transitioned into higher education. Today, his primary focus is generating annual fund revenue streams through direct marketing via mail, phone, digital, crowdfunding and emerging technology strategies.

He excels in multichannel marketing, emphasizing alumni engagement and fundraising. In August 2011, Andrews split responsibilities with the College of Humanities and Sciences and Development and Alumni Relations to build the university's first centralized annual giving office. In 2012-2013, Andrews was instrumental in building out a 19-center, on-site call center known as the Gold Line. It continues to be the most successful tool in the effort to attract alumni donors.

Since his arrival in DAR, Andrews has been the catalyst for increasing alumni participation donors by 42 prcent (8,064 in FY12 to 11,469 in FY18). That increase in alumni donors also helped to increase alumni annual giving revenue to from $12.7 million in FY12 to $40.1 million in FY18.

In 2013, Andrews received an Emmy award for his role in producing the "Invest in VCU" TV spot. In February 2016, under his direction, the annual giving office received Platinum and Gold honors from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. In April 2016, Andrews earned a merit award in the CASE category of Brief Events and Observances for the Battle for the Capital Alumni Giving Challenge.

Elizabeth Bass has worked in higher education and the nonprofit sector for 20 years, with an emphasis on volunteer training and management, community outreach and collegiate civic engagement. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1999 with a bachelor’s in sociology and from VCU in 2003 with a master’s in social work.

As associate vice president for alumni relations, Elizabeth leads a team of alumni and student engagement professionals who work with alumni, students and campus partners across the university. She oversees all areas of alumni programming, supports the VCU Alumni Council and serves on the senior leadership team for the vice president for development and alumni relations. 

Elizabeth served for seven years as executive director of the Virginia Mentoring Partnership, a statewide nonprofit organization that partners with schools, universities, corporations and nonprofit organizations to increase the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships and to promote effective youth mentoring across the commonwealth. She also held numerous roles, including executive director, at Madison House, the nonprofit student volunteer center at the University of Virginia from 2003-13, where she worked with students, alumni, and community and university partners and donors to fulfill its mission of leadership and service to the Charlottesville community. 

She is a member of the 2015 Class of Leadership Metro Richmond, former board chair of the Grace Covenant Child Development Center and AMP! Metro Richmond boards, and currently serves in a leadership role in the family and community engagement efforts at Good Shepherd Episcopal School. Elizabeth lives in Midlothian with her husband, Will Cleland, and her son, Henry.

Veda Bellamy has served as a support staff member in the VCU Alumni office since 1975. She has served as manager of the alumni house on the Monroe Park Campus, helped with program events, set up board of governors' meetings, assisted with the membership fulfillment and renewal program, supervised student workers and their daily assignments and performed other special duties.   

Latisha Taylor is the associate director of alumni outreach and engagement for alumni career programs. Taylor, a graduate of both Old Dominion University and George Mason University, previously worked in VCU’s central career services unit. She will provide alumni with meaningful opportunities to network, in-person and virtually, as she builds out a programming model that focuses on the industries in which our alumni work and not simply the academic areas in which they received a degree. Taylor will collaborate across the university in her efforts to engage alumni and strengthen their professional network.

Niles Eggleston joined VCU in April 2020 as the assistant vice president of alumni and development serving VCU Health and the School of Medicine. Most recently he was associate dean of advancement at the University of Virginia, where he led the School of Engineering development team into the Honor the Future Campaign, with three of the largest cumulative fundraising totals in school history. He brings more than 20 years of development experience to VCU, including leading alumni and community development offices at the University of Florida Health Science Center and at the University of Rochester (New York) Medical Center.

At VCU, he leads a team of 20 professionals to secure philanthropic support vital to the medical school and VCU Medical Center and works to engage and connect alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to advance the vision and mission of the academic medical center.

Niles earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Colorado and his master’s degree in sports management from North Carolina State University. He and his wife, Meghan, and their three children, Bo, Grady and Moriah, live in Maidens, Virginia.

Pam Vaughan joined the team in 2000. She oversees daily activities in the office including processing travel authorizations, reimbursements, purchasing and vendor payments as well as serving as a resource on university policies in these areas. She has served in a number of roles since 2000, including as a special events coordinator for the team.

Prior to joining VCU, Pam spent more than 17 years at AT&T in various positions.

Originally from Emporia, Virginia, Pam earned a certificate in computer programming from ECPI University and attended Virginia State University.

Part of the team since 2010, Amy thrives on the new discoveries, new students and new stories that she encounters every day on the MCV Campus. As director of major gifts, her favorite part of fundraising is finding the perfect match — aligning the diverse interests of our alumni and patients with the exceptional developments at our academic medical center. 

 A proud winner of the VCU Development and Alumni Relations Spirit Award, Amy has been with the university since 2004, having first served in VCU’s corporate and foundation relations office for six years. Prior to VCU, Amy held development roles at Reynolds Community College and William & Mary. 

 A native Virginian, Amy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University, an M.Ed. from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in higher education from William & Mary.

Wren Wyatt joined VCU’s corporate and foundation relations office in 2014 on a graduate fellowship through the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where much of his research focused on postsecondary education. Before working at VCU, Wyatt attended the University of Virginia, graduating with a degree in international relations. He brings a variety of skills and experiences to the School of Medicine, drawing on previous roles as an English teacher overseas, an attorney liaison for a large Richmond law firm and a variety of defense industry and electrical engineering sales roles.

Beth Schecter joined the Med-Health Development team in 2021, providing project coordination and strategic management for the team’s programs and daily operations. She also manages grateful patient educational programming for School of Medicine faculty and serves as the program manager for the Medical Philanthropy Academy. Before joining VCU, she was the development stewardship manager at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She is a recent transplant to Richmond and enjoys running, reading, baking and spending time with her young kids.

Nathan Bick joined VCU in 2016. He has enjoyed building philanthropic relationships with distinguished alumni around the nation and is a member of the Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Wellness Center team. 

 Prior to VCU, Nathan was director of development for the Oregon Bach Festival at the University of Oregon. In that role, he led a team that raised more than $20 million in two years and became the first university unit to reach its campaign goal in a $3 billion universitywide campaign. 

 With 13 years of nonprofit development experience encompassing higher education, medicine/health and the arts, he holds an M.B.A. and a master’s degree  in arts administration from the University of Cincinnati, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in voice performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Trevor started working in nonprofit fundraising in New York City after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. After moving to Richmond, he continued his trajectory in fundraising at the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. He joined the VCU College of Health Professions in 2018, moved to VCU University Development in 2021 and now serves as the associate director of development for VCU Massey Cancer Center. 

Bernadette O'Shea joined Med-Health Development in 2021, responsible for leading the Neurosciences team, including neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry divisions. A strategic leader and campaign expert with specialized knowledge in health care and major and principal giving, Bernadette has two decades in fundraising — including roles as a consultant, community hospital C-Suite executive and senior director for the neurosciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Bernadette is on the boards of Keaton's Kids in New York and the Institute of Transactional Philosophy in California.

She is a transplant of Chicago and a lifelong learner pursuing an MBA; she enjoys live comedy, reading, traveling and outdoor adventures. Bernadette and her family look forward to exploring Richmond and meeting the community.  

A native of Richmond, Heather joined the Med-Health Development team in 2022 with 20 years of combined experience in fundraising and marketing communications. Since 2009, she has worked in development for national  health and human services nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity and the Alzheimer’s Association. She has led the planning and execution of major fundraising campaigns, both local and national in scope. A graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s journalism school, Heather also previously worked in advertising and public relations.

With more than 15 years of advancement experience, Carrie Mills joined the VCU Medicine and Health team in 2017. She works with the faculty, grateful patients and donors of the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center and the Department of Surgery. She led the development of the VCU Medical Philanthropy Academy, which trains faculty and staff how best to partner with the development team.

Before joining VCU, Carrie was senior director of development and alumni affairs at the University of Florida, where she led alumni giving and a $30 million scholarship campaign. Prior to that, she worked in community fundraising at the March of Dimes in Jacksonville, Florida.

Carrie has a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in nonprofits from Appalachian State University.

Justin Jannuzzi joined Med-Health Development in 2021. His focus is working with grateful patients of the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center, especially advanced heart failure and surgery, as well as supporting Pauley’s advisory board. Previously, Justin spent 15 years fundraising in college athletics, holding leadership positions at VCU, Old Dominion University, Duke University and James Madison University. Most recently, he worked in health technology sales at Whil, a division of Rethink.

Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wabash College and a master's degree in sport leadership from VCU. He and his wife Jessica both grew up in Richmond and have two daughters, Josephine and Jocelyn.

Sarah Neely joined Med-Health Development in 2022. Her focus is working with grateful patients of the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center and managing the Pauley Heart Society. Previously, she served as the officer of annual giving and corporate stewardship for VCU Libraries. Prior to joining VCU, Sarah worked for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in various roles, where she ultimately landed in their development office managing boards, events and stewardship. She holds three degrees from VCU: B.S. in psychology, M.Ed. in educational leadership studies and a certificate in nonprofit management. Sarah is a Richmond, Virginia local and grew up in Old Church. 

Brenna Monk joined the Development team in 2019. She supports the Annual Giving program’s direct response campaigns and travels around Virginia to engage alumni.

Prior to coming to VCU, Brenna served as a development intern with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and as a digital and social media intern at VPM.

Brenna, a Richmond native, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in arts administration and studio art and a minor in leadership.

A native of Richmond, Jodi T. Smith, received her B.A. from Randolph-Macon College in 1994. Beginning in 1999, Smith has served many roles with the School of Medicine/Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Relations team. She has been the director of annual giving, senior development officer, and director of constituent relations for the School of Medicine. She has led Reunion Weekend and the stewardship team while carrying a major gift portfolio. In Smith's current role as director of development, she works with alumni in the mid-Atlantic and with faculty in the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, the Department of Internal Medicine — Pulmonology division, and the Department of Dermatology.

Emily joined the Med-Health Development team in 2022. In this role, she works primarily with School of Medicine alumni. Prior to joining Med-Health, Emily served as a university development officer with VCU’s central development team, focusing on West Coast-based VCU alumni across all schools and units since 2018. Previously, Emily worked in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in corporate relations and as a fundraiser for a public affairs consulting firm. She’s completing an MBA from the VCU School of Business and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics from Washington & Lee University.

Michelle Adcock oversees Massey's Community Advisory Board and Massey Alliance Board. Her role is to facilitate strategic engagement of board members through education, communication and participation and ensure they are equipped to be effective fundraisers, friend raisers and advocates for Massey. She has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Canisius College. She most recently served as director of development for Norfolk Collegiate School in Hampton Roads and has previously served as director of development for Junior Achievement of Western New York and the National Kidney Foundation serving upstate N.Y. She has been with Massey since August 2015.

Jack Carmichael serves as the director of Annual Giving for the School of Medicine and VCU Health, overseeing direct response campaigns for the medical school’s alumni as well as grateful patients. Jack joined the School of Medicine in 2014 and has served in various roles during his time here, including programming support for Reunion Weekend and front-line leadership of annual giving.

A Richmond native, Jack received his B.A. from Dickinson College, where he majored in English and Spanish. He holds an M.A. in Spanish literature from the University of Málaga, Spain, as well as an M.A. in English from VCU.

Michelle Holder joined the team in 2019 and currently oversees production of acknowledgement letters, pledge reminders and tribute reports.

Prior to VCU, she spent 10 years at UPS Freight serving as both a health and safety supervisor and an employee relations supervisor. Holder’s background in relationship building, data management, investigation and root-cause analysis equipped her with a high-level of expertise in both the human and legal sides of safety and HR compliance.

Michelle earned a diploma from The Braxton School of Business in 1987 as well as master level

Microsoft Office user specialist certification in 2003.

Erin Lucero loves telling the stories of our alumni, donors, faculty and students. In 19 years as director of development communications, she has produced a variety of collateral pieces that support development and alumni engagement priorities. She has taken three print periodicals from concept to production, including the School of Medicine’s 12th & Marshall alumni magazine, and launched the school’s email newsletter, which, in its 19th year, enjoys a better than 25% open rate. 

 Before joining the School of Medicine in 2001, Erin worked for a decade in what is now the public affairs office on the MCV Campus, coordinating with local, regional and national news organizations for stories about the hospital, Massey Cancer Center and five health science schools. 

 A native Richmonder, Erin holds a bachelor’s degree from Radford University and is an award-winning member of both the Public Relations Society of America and the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Group on Institutional Advancement.

Polly Roberts joined the School of Medicine in 2016. The opportunity to tell the stories of the medical school and support a $300 million campaign drew her from corporate communications back to VCU, where she had served as web content manager in University Relations from 2006-13. Polly began her career as a journalist with Richmond.com, covering health and education.

 Her responsibilities at VCU have a web focus, including managing the quarterly alumni e-newsletter. She also manages the medical school’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages, which earned an AAMC GIA Bronze Award in Social Media for a Facebook campaign to introduce the Class of 2021. In addition to writing and editing for the website and alumni magazine, Polly also collaborates with university partners to maximize the reach of each story.

 Born in Tennessee and raised in the Richmond area, Polly holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Italia Harding joined the Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Relations team in 2023. A design student and administrative professional, she is passionate about helping others, using design to connect people and ideas, and finding new ways to organize and create. She honed her skills in graphic design, branding, organization and project management while studying at Arizona State University.

Prior to VCU, Italia worked as the student coordinator for Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment at the University of South Carolina and was president of the Multicultural Outreach Student Team for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. In her role, she conducted campus tours and information sessions, planned admissions events, organized summer camps with over 90 participants and promoted the exploration of higher education to minority students attending K-12 schools. 

Lynn Meyer joined the team in 2015. Her fundraising career spans more than 21 years. Prior to joining VCU, she served as chief development officer at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, completing an $8 million capital campaign. She worked as an associate director for corporate and foundation relations for William & Mary and, before that, worked at Old Dominion University for seven years, first as a grant writer in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, then as a major gift officer in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. 

Lynn has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor’s in communications, both from ODU.

Laura Yawman joined the team in 2019. Prior to VCU, Laura served as the associate director of development at Johns Hopkins Medicine, fundraising for the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research. She spent six years at Hopkins in both health care and higher education settings. 

Passionate about connecting committed donors with philanthropic opportunities, Laura has spent her entire career in the nonprofit sector. She served on the membership committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Maryland Chapter, and sits on the alumni board of Maryvale Preparatory School in Baltimore. 

She is pursuing a master’s in communication from Johns Hopkins University and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Davidson College.

Tom Maness originally came to VCU in 2018 as associate dean and chief development officer for the School of Medicine. He was appointed to his current role in January 2019 and has responsibility for philanthropic support across the health sciences campus including the colleges and schools of Dentistry, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. This also includes the Massey Cancer Center as well as the hospitals, clinics and programs of VCU Health. 

He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of philanthropy mostly at academic medical centers. Prior to his time at VCU, he served as AVP for annual, major and planned giving at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he had responsibility for all individual giving programs. He also has extensive experience in enhancing and expanding grateful patient and family programs through partnership with physicians, researchers and other health care providers. 

Prior to joining Children’s National, he served in the joint development office of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan. He served in various roles including major gifts officer, associate director of major gifts and manager of major gifts. His management duties included building and leading teams of gift officers in major and mid-level giving as well as overseeing numerous donor affinity groups. During this time, Tom participated in three comprehensive campaigns of $1 billion or more. 

He holds a master’s of public administration in public policy and nonprofit management from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. 

Brian Campbell joined VCU in 2018 as the leader of the fundraising program for the VCU College of Engineering, coordinating major gift and annual fund strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Averett University and a master’s from the University of Virginia.

During his lengthy career in higher education administration, Campbell has served in similar roles at the North Carolina State University, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Pennsylvania, the Nevada System of Higher Education, Iowa State University and the University of Virginia.

Campbell was a member of the Virginia State Board of Social Services from 1994 to 2001. He also served as a member of the 1^st Tactical Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force from 1980 to 1986, participating in contingency operations in Egypt, Panama, Germany and Honduras.

Priscilla Cash joined the VCU School of Medicine’s major giving team in 2015. She works with alumni in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and West and with faculty in the Department of Urology.

Priscilla previously served as assistant director of leadership annual giving at VCU Massey Cancer Center. She also served in sales and sales management roles for the pharmaceutical and device-manufacturing companies of Hydro-Photon and Sanofi-Aventis, covering domestic territories in the Northeast as well as in Canada and Mexico. Her fundraising career began in San Francisco with the Pacific Crest Outward Bound school; she spent four years as an alpine mountaineering and rock-climbing instructor for the organization before moving into development.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from Radford University and a nursing degree from the Johns Hopkins University. She also completed a certificate program in fundraising at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In her spare time, Cash enjoys the outdoors, music, travel and cooking for family and friends.

Michael Morelius came to VCU from St. Edward’s University, where he oversaw the completion of the successful $100 million Campaign for St. Edward’s. During his time there, he managed all major gifts and planned giving officers responsible for portfolios of donors with a minimum $25,000 gift capacity as well as the corporate and foundation relations office and annual giving program.

His role at VCU is to help increase the fundraising efforts of the Monroe Park Campus schools and colleges, VCU Athletics and the Institute for Contemporary Art.

From August 2011 to October 2015, Morelius was director of development for the College of Science for the Texas A&M Foundation. As team lead, he facilitated raising $62 million. He managed a portfolio of 170 households capable of making commitments of $100,000 or more and maintained an average of 21 donor and qualification visits per month.

Morelius was director of development at Rice University from October 2006 to July 2011. He began his fundraising career as a student caller at Texas A&M. Over the course of his career, he has directly helped to raise more than $115 million.

He is a graduate of Texas A&M, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1999. He has two children, Kristopher and Brynne Leigh.

A member of the VCU team since 2012, Amy Gray Beck has a B.A. from Virginia Tech, an M.Ed. from Clemson University and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from VCU.

Her primary focus is on alumni engagement strategy, overseeing the outreach and engagement team. She has experience in student affairs, strategic enrollment management, student advancement programs, and alumni relations

Cara Clark, a Raleigh, North Carolina, native, holds a B.F.A. in dance and choreography from VCU and has worked as donor relations coordinator at the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh. She also holds an M.F.A. in film and video production from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has worked as a multimedia specialist at Georgetown University Library's Gelardin New Media Center and as editor and videographer for the American Dance Festival’s video blog.

Before joining VCU, Nick Georges served as the assistant director of athletic development at the College of William & Mary. Georges received a bachelor's in biology from Roanoke College, where he played soccer, and a Master of Sports Leadership from VCU.  

T. Greg Prince, Ed.D., CFRE, joined VCU’s College of Health Professions in September 2016. Prince has 25 years of professional experience in university development and advancement. Before coming to VCU, Prince led the advancement effort at Salisbury University, a small public regional institution on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. During his career, Prince has had a track record of initiating new development programs and donor/stewardship initiatives as well as forming volunteer groups.

His work before Salisbury focused on academic medicine development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and at East Carolina University's Medical & Health Sciences Foundation. In December 2015, Prince graduated with his Ed.D. in educational leadership from East Carolina University, and in March 2021, he earned his CFRE designation.

Beth Ayers joined the Department of Health Administration in 2010. She previously served for five years in a similar capacity in the dean’s office of the College of Health Professions. In her current position, she works with the 2,200-plus alumni of the department’s three programs, directs all alumni functions, manages alumni communication and marketing and is involved with donor gifts, stewardship, development and fundraising efforts. Ayers manages all reunions and works closely with the Alumni Advisory Council. Ayers holds a B.S. in business from Belmont University in Nashville and an M.S. from VCU’s School of Education.

Mary Riddick joined the College of Humanities and Sciences in August 2021. She previously served as director of development for the VCU School of Social Work team and worked for three years on VCU’s annual giving team. Riddick connects with humanities and sciences alumni, emeriti faculty, community partners and friends to the college to engage them with future initiatives. Riddick earned a B.A. from Virginia Tech and an M.P.A. from Old Dominion University.

Alexis Finc is the director of communications for the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. She is responsible for all internal and external communications, strategic messaging, and creative positioning for the college. Prior to joining VCU, Alexis spent the last six years overseeing communications at two different independent schools, Saint Gertrude High School in Richmond and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in Los Angeles, where she worked on numerous digital and print materials, marketing efforts, web and social media presence, fundraising collateral and overall communications strategy.

Before entering the world of educational communications, Alexis worked as an editor and writer in New York and Los Angeles for such companies as NBC Universal, Seventeen Magazine and Total Beauty Media. Alexis earned her B.A. in women and gender studies and English from Rutgers University and an M.F.A. in creative writing - poetry from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She currently lives in the Museum District with her husband and young son.

Margaret Ann Bollmeier provides strategic leadership aimed at strengthening MCV Foundation’s philanthropic efforts and relationships in the community and at Virginia Commonwealth University. A seasoned advancement professional with more than 25 years of experience, including 14 years as a foundation chief executive, Bollmeier has held leadership positions at Cornell University, the University of Virginia, University of Washington, Humanities Washington, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Providence Medical Center Foundation. She received her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Brian Thomas joined VCU in 2005 as vice president for the School of Engineering Foundation before joining the MCV Foundation staff in 2009 as senior executive director of development. He was promoted to vice president and chief development officer of the MCV Foundation in December 2015. Thomas has more than 30 years of fundraising experience and has served in leadership positions in national organizations, including CASE and the ABA Section for Institutional Advancement. Thomas has worked for Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Richmond, Stetson University College of Law and Vanderbilt University. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Richmond and his B.A. in economics from Hampden-Sydney College. At the MCV Foundation, Thomas works with donors to secure principal, major and planned gifts for the benefit of the MCV Campus, including five health sciences schools, Massey Cancer Center, VCU Health and other centers and programs.

Eric Peters first came to VCU to work on the MCV Campus in 2011 as a public relations specialist in University Relations. For nearly five years he managed media relations and news content for the health sciences schools and spent time as public relations manager for the VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research. He returned to the MCV Campus in 2017 after working in the federal government for nearly two years. Peters holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from VCU, a master’s degree in corporate and professional communication from Radford University, a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from VCU and accreditation in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

David joined the MCV Foundation in 2018 as chief financial officer. He worked in several operational and financial management positions in the hospitality and property management industries before moving to the higher education and nonprofit sectors in 1997. Since that time, he has worked at several institutions including Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the Catholic University of America, an international microfinance education organization and the University of Maryland College Park, where he served as executive director of financial management for the Division of University Relations and assistant treasurer for the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a CPA. As a key member of the MCV Foundation’s leadership team, David has overall responsibility for accounting, financial management, budgeting, audit, tax, investment and general operations. 

David has a private pilot’s license and usually flies a single engine Cessna aircraft. One of his favorite flying ventures originated in Nags Head, North Carolina, and finally touched down in Ocracoke, North Carolina, after several stops along the Outer Banks.

Erin Acors joined the MCV Foundation in November 2021 as staff accountant for accounts payable. Prior to this role, she was an accountant at RBI Services in Ashland, Va. She is currently completing her master’s program online in accountancy from Liberty University.

In the community, Erin played collegiate softball as the University of Central Arkansas and has volunteered for several goodwill programs such as the Project Christmas Child. She also volunteers at local sports organizations and is a Two Twelve networking member.

Erin earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas and is currently pursuing her CPA license. She lives in Montpelier, Va., with her family and three French bulldogs. In her spare time, she likes to coach youth league softball and spend time with her parents, sister, and fiancé.

Christopher Ayers joined the MCV Foundation in May 2022 as financial systems accountant. Prior to this role, he was director of academic affairs for ECPI University, where he also taught business and accounting courses as part of the faculty. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from ECPI College of Technology and an M.B.A. from Strayer University.

As a certified public accountant, Chris also has experience as an independent information technology consultant. His early career included managing business operations for a local community pharmacy, where he was director of sales and marketing and a store manager.

In his spare time, Chris is a member of the James River Rotary and in his spare time enjoys woodworking and traveling to the beach. He lives in North Chesterfield with his amazing and talented wife and two dogs.

Tracey joined the MCV Foundation in December of 2018 as the administrative assistant and receptionist. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to the vice president and chief development officer and the director of planned giving. She also supports all functions of the development, communications and finance teams.

Before joining the MCV Foundation, Tracey spent 14 years in the staffing industry where she was responsible for recruiting, account management and sales. She is a graduate of North Country Community College and has associate degrees in business management and math & science.

In her free time, Tracey loves gardening, crafting, following Buffalo sports teams and, above all, spending time with her granddaughter.

Paul Brockwell began as marketing communications manager in July 2019 at the MCV Foundation. Previously, he was a senior communications strategy specialist with the State Corporation Commission and worked nearly six years in higher education communications at the University of Richmond, where his writing earned CASE and PRSA regional recognition. Brockwell earned a master’s in public communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, and a B.A. in religious studies from William & Mary. In the community, he serves on the Library of Virginia board, the W&M Leadership Advisory Council, Omicron Delta Kappa’s National Advisory Council and in various roles at Grace Baptist Church. He loves obsessing about good television/pop culture, trying to read as many books as he can and hiking the James River trails in his spare time. In the past, he has written about Richmond’s food and drink scene for Style Weekly.

Penelope joined the foundation in August 2021 as a design services manager in the Communications Department. Prior to this role, she was the public relations coordinator and later the creative services manager for the American Civil War Museum, where she lead design for the magazine of an award-winning museum dedicated to telling an inclusive history of the Civil War.

An accomplished reporter and storyteller, Penelope won several awards during her time at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she began as a reporter and became editor of an award-winning weekly teen section written by local youth. Later, she also worked as a general assignment features writer and multimedia reporter. In 2008, she received a prestigious fellowship to train at a multimedia reporting and convergence workshop at the University of California Berkeley’s Knight Digital Media Center. In addition to her many skills, she is a talented photographer and runs her own freelance practice. Her photographic work is part of the permanent collections at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children and Family Lifeline.

Penelope earned her B.A. in print journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia. She lives in Short Pump with her two children.

Samantha joined the foundation in July 2022 and brings several years of fundraising and philanthropic experience. In her previous role as Director of Resource Development with United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg (UWGRP), Samantha led revenue and relationship development for a portfolio of corporate partners. She also worked on building long-term strategic relationships with donors and volunteers. Initially joining UWGRP as a temporary campaign assistant in 2011, Samantha went on to spend nearly a decade with the organization that sparked her passion for fundraising.

Having worked closely with several high-impact companies in the Greater Richmond area, Samantha takes great pride in her steadfast work ethic. In the community, Samantha is an executive board member of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives, and a VCU Neighborhood Liaison with the Newtowne West Civic Association.

Samantha earned her B.A. from the School of Media Arts and Design at James Madison University, and her M.A. from the Women’s Studies Graduate Program at Florida Atlantic University. She lives in Richmond with her husband, John, their twin daughters, Rosalee and Martigan, and their cat, Yoshi. In her free time, Samantha enjoys live music, vegetarian cooking and cuisines, traveling, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends – preferably on a beach.

Paula joined the MCV Foundation as a gifts administrator in 2011. She analyzes and processes daily gift deposits, reconciles monthly giving and fees, and provides multiple gift, accounting and audit reports. Her previous accounting experience includes AP, AR, billing, bookkeeping and reconciliation, most recently at Performance Food Group and Christian & Barton.

She graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a bachelor’s degree in statistics and also holds an Accounting Career Studies Certificate.

Cara joined the foundation in June 2022 bringing 10 years of fundraising experience from Randolph-Macon College. In her prior role as director of donor relations and major gift officer, Cara focused on identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding significant donors. She also served as the staff liaison to Randolph-Macon’s Parents Board and was responsible for the stewardship program of endowed funds.

Cara is a member of several organizations including the Virginia Gift Planning Council and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She also holds a Certificate of Planned Giving from the University of Richmond’s Institute of Philanthropy.

Cara earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Randolph-Macon College. Cara lives in Maidens with her husband, Trey, and their son, Ezra.

Gina joined the MCV Foundation in February of 2019 as the assistant controller. Prior to joining the foundation, Gina served as accounting manager at St. Joseph’s Villa, the longest continuously operating children’s nonprofit in the United States. Gina's past work experience also includes development, event planning and donor management at the state and national level.  

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Gina received both a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy degree from the VCU School of Business.  

Outside of the office, Gina enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering as the treasurer for the Henrico Police Foundation. She is a member of SEAL Team Physical Training and an avid runner. 

Holly joined the foundation in June 2022 as the communications manager with a focus on writing and editing for the foundation’s magazines and website. Prior to this role, she served as a staff writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She is an accomplished storyteller who strives to unearth and showcase the rich nature of human elements in her work.
 
As a veteran daily newspaper journalist, Holly has covered many topics, including local news, government affairs, general features, and food and beverages. She has even written about wayward bears, child activists and clandestine motorcycle shops. Holly also has experience working with designers on eye-catching visuals and has contributed photos to Discover Richmond Magazine.
 
Holly earned her bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in Ashland with her husband, daughter, and two mostly lovable dogs, Valentino Rossi The Dog and Phoebe. Outside the office, she can be found baking something sweet in the kitchen – if she’s not on the sidelines at a soccer game.

Crystal Puryear joined the MCV Foundation in November 2017 as the executive assistant to the president. In addition to providing high-level support to the president, she is the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies and serves as the liaison between foundation staff and the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees. She also plans and facilitates all quarterly board and committee meetings. 

She joined the foundation with more than 10 years of experience supporting C-level executives and senior leadership in the financial services industry and nonprofit sector. Additionally, she played an integral role in the rapid growth of an outreach organization where she amassed a wealth of knowledge in community relations, event planning, volunteer management and marketing. 

Outside of work, Crystal enjoys traveling, hiking and seeing live music with her family.

Zaynah joined the foundation in November 2021 as a digital engagement manager focusing on social media and digital content strategy. She also contributes writing to the foundation’s magazines and website. Prior to this role, Zaynah led creative development of training and communications for the environmental, health and safety team at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Boston, where she lived for a decade. 

In the community, she serves as a program manager and committee member for the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellowship and co-organized and led marketing for Books for Palestine, a fundraising initiative within the literary community for emergency relief efforts. Her past work includes writing for both higher education institutions and design and branding companies. Zaynah brings experience from publishing and as a freelance writer and publicist.

Zaynah earned her M.F.A. in creative fiction writing at Emerson College. She also graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in English and minors in biology and chemistry. She lives in Richmond and is enjoying the opportunity to get reacquainted with her hometown. In her spare time, she is working on a debut manuscript for a young adult fantasy novel and loves kickboxing, reading and traveling.

Tyler joined the foundation in July 2021 as a digital content manager focusing on videography and photography. Prior to this role, he was a producer and editor with Fourth Line Films, a Richmond-based firm specializing in documentary filmmaking. In his work, he has helped mission-driven organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution and the American Association for the Advancement of Science to tell important stories. Most recently, he produced and edited a feature documentary that was distributed through the Public Broadcasting System as part of the Reel South film series. 

An accomplished visual storyteller, Tyler has taught as an adjunct instructor in filmmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University. In the community, he volunteers as sound mixer and archivist for Secretly Y’all, a nonprofit storytelling event group. He also co-founded RVA Documentary as a social and professional forum for documentary storytellers and the Doc’s Addition Screening Series.

Tyler earned his M.F.A. in documentary film and video from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from William & Mary. He lives in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood with his wife, Caron, three small and very energetic kids, and a golden doodle named Toby.

Cat Vincent began as gifts administration manager on the foundation’s finance team in May 2021.

Prior to joining MCV Foundation Cat worked in the Gifts and Records Management department in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was the Team Lead Transaction Analyst for five years. Prior to her time at VCU, she served with the University of Richmond Advancement Office for 19 years in gifts and records management.

Cat brings more than 23 years of experience in advancement services. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys being in the outdoors, traveling, shopping and trying new restaurants.

Lewis Witcher joined the foundation in November 2021 as a staff accountant with a focus on gifts and accounts receivable.

Prior to this role, he was an accounting research analyst with Apex Systems, a world class technology services business. Lewis has more than seven years of accounting experience including account research, financial analysis, and accounts receivable.

Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., and was a member of the men’s basketball team. Lewis lives in Richmond with his wife and daughter. In his spare time, he likes to watch basketball and football and participates in a kickball league.

Julie joined the MCV Foundation in 2018 as the controller.  Prior to joining the foundation, she served as accounting manager at DuPont Teijin Films. She brings with her valuable nonprofit experience, having served four years as the associate controller for the International Mission Board, a global nonprofit. 

Julie has handled all aspects of financial management operations during her nearly 25-year career, which has included significant experience in small business accounting throughout the Greater Richmond area.  Julie is a CPA and attended Virginia Commonwealth University and Strayer University, earning a bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. in finance.

As a Richmond native, Julie has a passion for serving urban communities. Her drive for community service began during her first downtown experience in Open High School.  She currently serves as CFO for Beacon Hill Church in the City of Hopewell and leads the church’s Celebrate Recovery program in the Beacon Theatre.

Amber Yancey joined the foundation’s Development Team as assistant director of donor relations in August 2021.

Prior to this role, she was a development and scholarship specialist at the VCU School of Nursing, where she helped manage the scholarship process, alumni relations and events for the development team. Amber brings a wealth of experience to her role. She previously served as corporate partnerships and events manager with the Richmond Ballet and was a development and special events coordinator for Saint Gertrude High School.

Amber earned a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She also completed a certificate in non-profit marketing from the University of Richmond’s Institute of Philanthropy. She lives in the Northside with her husband, Keith, and their dog, Guapo.

Kelly Kerr joined the VCUarts development team in August 2012, where she serves as director of events and sponsorships. She previously worked for VCU's Office of the President as manager of the Scott House. She earned her M.F.A. in ceramics from James Madison University.

Linda Johnston is proud to have been a part of the VCU Department of Music since 1988. She is an alumna of VCU music with a bachelor's in music education. She also serves as music director/organist at Pine Street Baptist Church, where she has served since 1972. Johnston serves the Department of Music as the fiscal administrator as well as human resources liaison. One of her many responsibilities in the department is to maintain relationships with VCU music alumni and donors. 

Anne Cabot Galeski joined the VCU team in 2019 as a leadership annual giving officer. Before joining VCU, Galeski spent over four years at Randolph-Macon College as assistant director for annual leadership giving and major gift officer. Before her development career, Galeski worked in private wealth management at Scott & Stringfellow in Richmond and Merrill Lynch in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Galeski received a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Virginia, where she was also a member of the field hockey team. She also holds a Certificate of Planned Giving from the University of Richmond and completed the Southeastern Trust School certificate program through Campbell University's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business in 2019.

Cristina Cruz serves as the assistant director of development communications and special events at the VCU School of Dentistry. She manages the school's donor relations efforts, including alumni engagement and stewardship events, and coordinates alumni and donor communications. She has worked in development at the School of Dentistry since 2010 and has a background in public relations and event management. Cruz is a 2006 graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in public relations and Spanish.

From 2012 to 2015, Ed Kardos served as director of development for major gifts at the VCU School of Dentistry, where he secured more than $3.5 million in total donations dedicated to scholarship and professorship endowments. Before joining the School of Dentistry, Kardos served as executive director of development for the VCU School of Nursing, director of development for Benedictine High School and the first full-time annual giving director at James Madison University. He is a Nina Abady Award recipient (2004), the highest award given by the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives for lifetime career excellence.

Caitlin Hanbury was named the director of communications for the School of Nursing in August of 2022. In her current role, she leads all communications, marketing and public relations efforts that promote the school to external and internal audiences. She earned a B.A. in art history and English language and literature from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in art history with a concentration in museum studies from VCU. She previously served as assistant director of community affairs for the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. Prior to VCU, she served in a development role for the Maymont Foundation and as a programs and exhibitions manager for the Hermitage Museum & Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.

Katharine Stein is a 2015 VCUarts alumna from the Department of Sculpture. She previously served as a development coordinator at VCUarts before a stint in the development office at the Science Museum of Richmond. 

Louie Correa joined the VCU development team in March 2015. He has 14 years of experience in development and nonprofit management. Before joining VCU, he served as chief executive officer of Project 375 (formerly The Brandon Marshall Foundation) based in Chicago. He also served as an associate consultant for Campbell & Co., a fundraising consulting firm based in Chicago, where he worked with many arts and higher education clients throughout the U.S. Before his time in Chicago, Correa spent nearly a decade in Indianapolis in development roles with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and The TKE Foundation. He has authored articles in Advancing Philanthropy and chapters in Giving USA. He has a master's degree from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University (2010) and bachelor's degrees in rhetoric and English from the University of Illinois (2002).

Jess Sorensen previously served as development coordinator for VCUarts. After receiving her B.S. in sociology from James Madison University in 2010, she interned for the summer with the VCU donor relations team. She then became the administrative assistant to the dean of external affairs at the VCU School of Business from August 2010 to January 2013. She is a native of Richmond, Virginia.

Geoff LoCicero joined the VCU School of Social Work in July 2019. Previously, he was coordinator of digital marketing and communications for the School of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi, after serving as the university’s director of web services from 2009-17. He was the first director of web communications at the University of South Carolina from 2005-09.

Before that, LoCicero was a trainer and researcher at the Ifra Newsplex at the University of South Carolina, a public-private partnership that focused on the development of cross-media strategies and training for journalists in the U.S. and abroad.

He also worked as a copy editor and page designer at The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina and as a sports copy editor and designer at the Birmingham Post-Herald.

Antonia F.D. Vassar graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005 with a B.A. in music. She became interested in fundraising and philanthropy after working in the VCU Libraries Development Office as a student. She enjoys seeing VCU Libraries donors engaged and active in the larger VCU and Richmond communities.